Five Life Lessons
by CrisisChild
Summary: That Rufus Shinra learned from his mother. (Editted and remastered. Re-post.)
1. Don't Let Them See You Cry

**Title: **Five Life Lessons

**Author:** CrisisChild

**Summary: **That Rufus Shinra learned from his mother.

**Rated: **K+

**Beta'd:** Nope

**Editted & Remastered: **Yeap.

**Diclaimer: **I do not own Rufus Shinra or any part of the FFVII Compilation. I just write bad fanfictions. Yeap.

**Life Lesson #1**

_Don't Let Them See You Cry_

**There** were a lot of kids who didn't like Rufus at school. Every day they would pick on him and called him names until he ran away crying to his mother, when school was over. His father would tell him to 'suck it up', however Rufus couldn't help the awful way he felt after being mercilessly bullied. Worst part was, he hardly knew the reason why he was being antagonized so much. Eventually, his mother couldn't stand to see him this way and sat him down with her while he was having another sob into his pillowcase.

"**Rufus, baby, you can't let them see you cry,**" she told her son softly, wiping his tears with one of her handkerchiefs. Rufus' mother's hands were rough, rougher than any woman's who had ever touched him, but the boy loved those hands. They were his mother's after all. Though careworn they were the most tender things that had ever touched his face.

"**Why not?**" he demanded, sniffling as she continued to wipe his face. Curiosity and indignity made him wish to know and to understand. Why. _Why_...**why**?

"**Because it means they can make you do what they want. Do you like that?**"

_Someone make him do what they want?_ No. No, he didn't. Rufus shook his head. The child barely did as he was told by his father, so why would he want to do as anyone else would want of him? Except for his mother, but there were exceptions to every rule, right?

"**Well, then, baby, you can't let them see you cry. It means they can control you. Make you do things you don't want to. They're just mean bullies. It'll pass. Be brave. For me?**"

**For** his mother, Rufus would have moved the stars, if he could. He took her words to heart and strove to never ever cry for anyone's sake again. It was hard and, as a consequence, those weathered hands were never to touch his face again. A sad trade. Was it worth it? Who knew. Time would eventually tell.

**Years** later when his old man was murdered, Rufus did not shed a single tear. Instead, he laughed at the news. He was now no longer under the old president's thumb. He would never have to do anything his tormentor ordered him to do ever again. He was free.


	2. Don't Let Them See You Bleed

**Title: **Five Life Lessons

**Author:** CrisisChild

**Summary: **That Rufus Shinra learned from his mother.

**Rated: **K+

**Beta'd:** Nope

**Editted & Remastered: **Yeap.

**Diclaimer: **I do not own Rufus Shinra or any part of the FFVII Compilation. I just write bad fanfictions. Yeap.

**Life Lesson #2**

_Don't Let Them See You Bleed_

"**Oh, my god. Rufus, baby, what happened?**" His mother immediately swooped in on her boy, touching his face, his arms - holding his hands with _horror_ on her face. Was that a bruise on his cheek? He was all scratched up and bleeding! "**Baby, how did this happen?**"

** Rufus** couldn't quite look his mother in the eye, too ashamed to. He had gotten himself beaten up, because the other kids made fun of her and he rose to her defence, getting hurt in the process. They had heard stories from their parents about his mother and spread nasty rumours around school; she wasn't his real mother. 'How could she be?' they had whispered conspiratorily to each other behind hands, pretending they didn't know Rufus was around to hear. According to those mean kids _their_ parents told them that his mother was someone else. He said nothing, but his mother - rough hands and all - forced him to look up at her by gently guiding his chin.

**For** all of her quiet and gentility, if Rufus had to choose being afraid of someone – his father or his mother – he would have to say in that very moment, his mother was the most frightening thing of all. Not because she raised her voice. Not because she would strike him or tell him awful things. It was because she looked straight at him and only him, seeing him when he did not want to be seen or found.

**His** mother with deep brown eyes not like his own at all. His dear mother whose love he feared to lose.

"**Baby, tell me what happened. You know I'll find out anyways.**"

**His** mother who somehow always knew _everything_.

**Rufus** gulped nervously under her silk-steel gaze.

"**I got into a fight with the other kids,**" Rufus mumbled begrudgingly.

**His** mother frowned. "**I thought we got things sorted out with them.**"

**Not **quite, they'd just found a different way to bother him.

**She** looked him over again, seeing some marks were older, some just starting to fade and a terrible realization comes over the woman. Her eyes softened and she became sad - Rufus _hated_ it when she was sad. He hated being the one who made her sad. Father had been doing enough of that on his own.

"**This isn't the first time,**" she whispered with dawning realization. And that sadness deepened in her voice, which made the child's insides squirm.

**Rufus** looked at the carpet. He shook his head.

** There** was silence. Then an exasperated sigh.

"**Probably not the last time, I bet,**" remarked Rufus' mother. She caressed his face and he leaned into that touch to savour it. As her hand continued to pet her son's face she spoke to him seriously. "**Rufus I can't really tell you what to do half the time, but try to listen to mother this time. Try not to let them see you bleed.**"

**Rufus** blinked at this, wondering where his mother was going with her words.

"**Don't fight back – no, **_**listen**_** to me.**" Her hand was on his chin and held it firmly so their gazes would continuously meet. He shivered involuntarily under that silk-steel gaze, wondering if she had been a policewoman once upon a time, before meeting father. She was a lot like those people in those programs, interrogating criminals. Her eyes unwaveringly questing for answers. "**They want you to fight them. But you are a Shinra, Rufus. Fighting is beneath you. Others can do the fighting for you or you can avoid the fighting, have your enemies tire themselves out and look the fools. I know you have your own reasons, baby, for getting hurt like this, but your mother would feel much better not seeing you come home bleeding all the time.**"

**He** would make no promises on that, but Rufus tried his best. Scared of those eyes as he was, he would rather they looked out at the world as they were than be filled with sadness again.

**In** the years to come Rufus kept a good track record of sidestepping blows, dodging bullets and deflecting attacks onto other people, right until he claimed the presidency. That one time he really should have just left on the helicopter instead of engaging that odd ex-SOLDIER, Cloud, in a battle. It really was too bad; they could have been friends, but he supposed not.

**He** had ruined his good suit in the duel. He frowned at the blood staining his knuckles and ran fingers over them, wondering. Thinking. Remembering.

** Musing** over how his own hands seemed too soft moving over his own.


	3. Don't Let Them See You're Afraid

**Title: **Five Life Lessons

**Author:** CrisisChild

**Summary: **That Rufus Shinra learned from his mother.

**Rated: **K+

**Beta'd:** Nope

**Editted & Remastered: **Yeap.

**Diclaimer: **I do not own Rufus Shinra or any part of the FFVII Compilation. I just write bad fanfictions. Yeap.

**Life Lesson #3**

_Don't Let Them See You're Afraid_

** Once **when he was quite young, Rufus was found at home early from school, cowering under his parent's bed. His mother had found him before anyone else and she chuckled at his childishness. Instead of coaxing him out to face her, the woman crawled into the tight space with her son who squeaked at the sight of her. She wrapped an arm around his smaller shivering form and pulled him close. His little hands wrapped themselves up in the fabric of her clothes, clinging tightly.

**Time** to figure out what was up. "**Are we hiding from big scary monsters, baby?**"

"**N-no,**" Rufus replied.

**His** mother smiled. "**So, are we hiding from the scary, scary Turks and their big scary guns?**" she inquired with a knowing laugh.

**Rufus** shook his head. He scooted closer to his mother's side. "**Uh-uh.**"

**The **older woman hummed in understanding. "**Oh? Then are we hiding from Professor Hojo? Your booster shot is scheduled soon.**"

**Rufus** paled, but shook his head vehemently. He was only five, what was he supposed to do in this situation? He was new at the school and all. He shouldn't have to deal with this problem…Worse, his mother was here and he was being such a big baby and he didn't know why or how he should express his worries without being a tattle. He didn't want to be a bad son.

"**No.**" It was all he could say.

"**Then what, baby**?"

**Rufus** looked at his mother, at the dark clothes she wore as if she were always mourning someone. A 'suit', she once told him, because she had to look her best as she, too, worked with his father at the company. She always stayed around his father most of the time, doing this and that for him; Mother would make a wonderful personal assistant, he thought. She also told him that her suit made her invincible, too. Rufus wanted an invincibility suit. He wanted to be just like his mother.

"**...The kids at school,**" he replied, at long last.

**She** laughed at him.

**Rufus** got defensive. "**It's not funny!**"

"**Yes, it is. Here I am, thinking we're hiding from a Behemoth or the coming of Chaos and all you're scared of are boys and girls? Rufus, baby, there's nothing to be scared of.**" His mother gave him a squeeze and a quick, affectionate kiss on his temple; he whined at her about doing that, while secretly loving the attention. "**Oh, baby, my baby…don't ever get scared. For anything. There's no reason to be. Are they picking on you at school?**"

**Rufus** nodded, rather shamefully. His father was going to have words for him later that was for sure. There were always words. Harsh ones that made Rufus feel smaller than he already was. A 'runt' he'd been called, more than once. A 'worthless whelp' at others. And the latest whopper was 'loser'. But for the moment that old man's opinion didn't matter. What did matter was listening to his mother, because she always seemed to know just what to say.

"**Well, baby, here's a trick against bullies. Don't let them know you're afraid. More often than not, baby, they're really scared of you. And they have all the right to be.**" She kissed his cheek. "**You have the scariest mum and dad in the entire world. By making you scared, they're trying to hide the fact that they're scared, too. So don't pay them any mind. Just be brave and things will work out. Now come out, baby. I'll get you some cookies. They'll help get your fighting spirit back.**"

**And** they did, along with his mother's encouraging words. Rufus munched on some homebaked sweets before being taken back to school. She held his hand on the ride there, kept him close and stroked his hair. The action was so soothing that he dozed off like that. There were many frightening things waiting for him in this world, he knew, but he would meet them head on no matter how hurt he got, he decided. He needed to be brave. He promised her he would be good for her.

**When** they got to the school, he insisted on going in alone. He let go of her hand. He waved to her, told his mother he loved her, like a good son, and went on with his life.

**And** like a good son, when he faced off Kadaj and his gang, he could only smirk and show no fear in face of such madness with the head of Jenova safely tucked away in the folds of his blanket. So close, yet so far, weren't they, Kadaj? From the one person that meant most to them. Kept and taken away by the illustrious name that was Shinra.

**He** chuckled as he held the head of Jenova tauntingly. Oh, poor simple, mad Kadaj. So very near-sighted. So very angry, but Rufus held no emotion other than pity and amusement for the Remnant. He had nothing to fear here.

"**A good son would have known.**"


	4. You Look Good in White

**Title: **Five Life Lessons

**Author:** CrisisChild

**Summary: **That Rufus Shinra learned from his mother.

**Rated: **K+

**Beta'd:** Nope

**Editted & Remastered: **Yeap.

**Diclaimer: **I do not own Rufus Shinra or any part of the FFVII Compilation. I just write bad fanfictions. Yeap.

**Life Lesson #4**

_You Look Good In White_

**Rufus **didn't like the new clothes his mother bought for him, however, he wore them because she had asked him to and today they would be making new changes to the company- he needed to look his best as his father was to make a speech. The clothes were stiff and a bit itchy. And _white_. It made his eyes hurt looking at them.

"**I think you look good in white. It suits you Rufus.**" His mother fussed with his collar, smiling and laughing. He felt much better knowing that she was in better spirits as of late. His father and mother were getting along better than ever before.

**That** didn't mean the boy couldn't be a sourpuss though. He was, in fact, still a child.

"**I don't like white. It's a **_**girly**_** colour,**" he complained, tugging his collar out of place again.

**Rufus** should have expected it when she smacked him lightly upside the head. Mother never did like it when he made comments like that. He learned all too early that girls were scary in their own right - maybe scarier than any man Rufus would meet. Most of the girls at school were certainly terrifying with their googly eyes and inability to keep their lips to themselves; half the time the boy had to hide in the boy's bathroom. No, he wasn't afraid of the silly creatures, he just didn't want them to ruin his clothes and hair with their drooly kisses, that was all.

**Still**, he would have preferred a black suit, like his mother. It would be easier to keep clean. And he secretly still would like to own one of her famous invincibility suits. His father's guards got to wear them, his mother wore one, so why couldn't he?

"**All colours have a meaning, baby. Do you know what white stands for?**"

**Rufus** shook his head. Mother always seemed to know something about any subject - not like his father, who only understood money and what it could do in the world. Money, money, money...before his slight change in personality recently, it had always been that his father's mind centered around. Rufus didn't quite understand why they needed to hoard so much capital, but mother explained that that was how father was and all he really knew how to do.

**Still**, Rufus thought it'd be more worthwhile to make mother smile. At least the old man was doing more of that.

**She** began to explain as she brushed a few loose strands of his blond hair into place. "**White can mean a lot of things. It can mean kindness, purity, completion and innocence before it is ripped away.**" There was a sad look on her face and Rufus bristled. _No, no, no_, he thought, _Mother don't be sad. Don't think on sad thoughts._ He didn't enjoy being so helpless. Not a bit.

**Especially** in terms of his mother.

"**It also means loyal love. So wear this colour for me, baby? It means I love you.**"

**And** so, he wore it for her.

**As** time went on, Rufus discovered that there were other meanings to the colour white.

**White** meant coldness, like his attitude towards others.

**White** meant sterility, like the hospital walls he found himself in one day.

**White **meant mourning for the dead, though he did not believe in Wutai traditions; for his mother he always wore white.

**White** also meant new beginnings and for the sake of the Planet, he would help turn things around.

"**Tseng, get me Reeve**."


End file.
